Method and circuit breaker for reducing arc flash during maintenance in a low voltage power circuit

ABSTRACT

Maintenance trip functions override the normal or specified trip functions of a low voltage circuit breaker to reduce pickup currents and/or time delays to effect faster trips, which reduces arc energy produced by faults during maintenance or testing on a live circuit breaker.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 10/814,596, filed Mar. 31,2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Aspects of the invention relate to providing increased protection forpersonnel working on low voltage electric power circuits, and moreparticularly, to providing a maintenance trip function that overridesthe normal trip function to reduce arc energy in faults occurring duringmaintenance.

2. Background Information

Often, maintenance personnel need to work on low voltage electric powercircuits that are energized, for instance, when testing circuitbreakers. The circuit breakers have trip functions designed to protectthe power system from overloads and overcurrents. These trip functionstypically include a delayed trip function that allows downstreambreakers closer to the fault to respond first in order to limitinterruption of service. The delayed trip function also permitstemporary overloads such as those associated with the starting currentof large motors.

The coordination between circuit breakers can be enhanced by zoneinterlocking in which a breaker lower in the protection hierarchy sendsa signal that it detects a fault to an upstream breaker to temporarilyblock operation of the latter breaker giving the downstream breaker timeto respond. Absence of a zone interlock signal from the lower breakerindicates that the fault is above the lower breaker allowing the higherbreaker to respond more quickly.

Often, the power breaker will also have an instantaneous trip functionthat responds without delay to very high currents, such as thoseassociated with the short circuit. These breakers can also have a groundfault trip function that typically also incorporates a delay time.

Maintenance and test personnel can be exposed to live terminals whenworking or making measurements on energized gear. The potential for arcflash resulting from an accidental fault requires that personnel wearprotective clothing while working on energized gear.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the normal or specifiedtrip functions of the circuit breaker are overridden by a maintenancetrip function that results in reduced arc energy in a fault during atrip over the arc energy that would be generated during a trip with thespecified or normal trip function. In this manner, should a fault occurwhile personnel are working on or making measurements on the powercircuit, the circuit breaker will trip sooner and thereby expose thepersonnel to a lower level of arc energy. Where the specified tripfunction comprises a specified pickup current and specified time delay,overriding the specified trip function can comprise reducing thespecified pickup current and/or the specified time delay. Where acircuit breaker may have one or more of an instantaneous trip function,a short delay trip function and a ground fault trip functionimplemented, each of the implemented trip functions is overridden by themaintenance trip function. Thus, for a short delay trip function, thetime delay can be reduced or eliminated and the short delay pickupcurrent can also be reduced. Likewise, the ground fault time delay canbe reduced or eliminated and the ground fault pickup current can bereduced. The instantaneous trip function is overridden by reducing thespecified instantaneous pickup current.

In some applications, it may be desirable to have higher settings forthe maintenance trip function, such as for instance to accommodate motorstarting currents. In this case, two maintenance trip functions may beprovided with the first maintenance trip function providing a higherlevel of protection that results in a first level of arc energy in afault during a trip that is less than the arc energy resulting from thespecified trip function of the breaker and a second maintenance tripfunction that results in a second level of arc energy in the fault thatis more than the first level of arc energy but less than the arc energythat would result from the specified trip function. For multiphaseapplications, the maintenance trip function can also cause a trip inresponse to a current imbalance in the multiple phases. Also, themaintenance trip function can cause a trip in response to a currentreversal in the low voltage circuit. Where the specified trip functionincorporates a jumpered zone interlock providing a specified delay,overriding the specified trip function comprises eliminating the delaytime which can be implemented by open circuiting the jumpered interlock.The specified trip function can be overridden by providing anindependent maintenance trip function in parallel with the specifiedtrip function. Also, the specified trip function can be overridden bysubstituting the maintenance trip function for the specified tripfunction which is retained, for instance by storing, so that it isavailable to be restored following maintenance.

Another aspect of the invention is directed to a low voltage circuitbreaker protecting from arc flash resulting from faults in a protectedlow voltage power circuit that comprises: separable contacts, currentsensors sensing current in the protected low voltage power circuit, atrip unit responsive to the current sensors tripping open the separablecontacts in response to a specified trip function, and means overridingthe specified trip function with a maintenance trip function thatreduces arc flash energy below arc flash energy associated with thespecified trip function. The maintenance means can comprise amaintenance switch operable between a normal position selecting thespecified trip function and a maintenance position selecting themaintenance trip function.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the maintenance meanscan comprise a maintenance plug insertable in the circuit breaker toimplement the maintenance trip function. This maintenance plug cancomprise a maintenance trip circuit producing a trip at a lower currentlevel than the specified trip function. This maintenance trip circuitcan comprise a zener diode. As applied to a multiphase level circuitbreaker, the current sensors can include an auctioneering circuit thatselects the highest current for implementing the maintenance tripfunction. The trip function of the circuit breaker can comprise amicroprocessor providing the specified trip function and the maintenancetrip circuit can be implemented in parallel with the trip unit.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, where the trip unitincorporates a zone interlock and the specified trip function is a shortdelay trip function, the maintenance means open circuits the interlockand eliminates the delay of the short delay.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full understanding of the invention can be gained from the followingdescription of the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a low voltage circuit breaker inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention providing protection ina low voltage power circuit.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the circuit breakerof FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of the trip unit whichforms part of the circuit breaker of FIG. 1 in accordance with anotherembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic circuit diagram of another embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating implementation of theinvention in a low voltage circuit breaker incorporating zone interlockin accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a low power electric circuit 1 being protected by alower voltage circuit breaker 3. The circuit breaker 3 has separablecontacts 5 that are opened and closed by an operating mechanism 7. Atrip unit 9 monitors the current in the power circuit 1 as measured bycurrent sensors 11 such as current transformers, and actuates theoperating mechanism 7 to automatically open the separable contacts 5when the current meets the criteria of specified normal trip functionsimplemented by the trip unit 9. FIG. 1 is depicted in single line formatalthough typically the power circuit 1 and circuit breaker 3 will bethree phase.

Various known trip functions can be implemented by the trip unit 9 asthe specified trip functions. Typically, main and feeder circuitbreakers in the low voltage power circuit 1 have a short delay tripfunction with a specified pickup current and specified time delay. Theseparameters are selected so that circuit breakers lower in the powercircuit and closer to a fault have time to respond first. As mentionedabove, this limits disruption of the power circuit by only disconnectingthe affected portion of the circuit. Often, such circuit breakers willalso have a ground fault trip function as a specified trip function thattypically has a specified ground fault pickup current and specifiedground fault time delay. Some circuit breakers will also have aninstantaneous trip function with a specified instantaneous pickupcurrent. If this instantaneous pickup current value is exceeded, thetrip unit actuates the operating mechanism to open the separablecontacts 5 without delay.

The maximum continuous current that the circuit breaker is designed tosustain is commonly referred to as the frame rating. In order that asingle circuit breaker design can be adapted for a number ofapplications, it is common for the manufacturer to provide in thecircuit breaker a rating plug which sets the maximum current at aselected value below the frame rating. As an example, the following aretypical values for the specified trip functions in the low voltagecircuit breaker 1.

Instantaneous trip=10×rated current

Short Delay Pickup=8×rated current

Short Time Delay=0.5 sec

Ground Fault Pickup Current=0.5×rated current

Ground Fault Time Delay=0.5 sec

As mentioned, at times it is necessary for maintenance personnel ortechnicians to perform work or take measurements on the low voltagecircuit breaker or its connected buses while the low voltage circuit 1is energized. There is a possibility that during such work a fault couldoccur that would expose the workers to arc flash. In order to reduce theseverity of this exposure, aspects of the present invention are directedtoward overriding the above described specified trip functions with amaintenance trip function that reduces arc energy should a fault occur.The maintenance trip function reduces the pickup currents of thespecified trip functions and/or reduces or eliminates the time delays ofthe specified trip functions. Continuing the example above, thefollowing maintenance trip functions can be implemented.

Instantaneous Pickup Current=2×rated current

Short Delay Pickup=1.5×rated current

Short Time Delay=0.050 sec (essentially no time delay)

Ground Fault Pickup=0.25×rated current

Ground Fault Time Delay=0.050 sec (essentially no time delay)

If desired, additional protection settings may be included in themaintenance trip function, such as an amp unbalance trip with no timedelay when there is an unbalance of 25% or more between phase currents.In addition, the maintenance trip function can include a reverse powertrip when power flows in the reverse direction, for instance, when 1 kwflows in the reverse direction for one second. This reverse power tripwill sense motor feedback into the arc fault.

As shown in FIG. 1, the specified or normal trip functions can beoverridden by the maintenance trip functions through actuation of amaintenance switch 13, which may be provided directly on the trip unitwhere the trip unit 9 is accessible at the front of the circuit breaker3. A light emitting diode (LED) 15 can be energized with the maintenanceswitch in the maintenance position to alert personnel of the change inthe trip function. Other means for signaling the implementation of themaintenance trip functions can be provided such as a text message wherethe trip unit has a visual display 17.

State-of-the-art trip units utilize a microprocessor to implement thetrip functions. FIG. 2 is a flow chart of an exemplary routine used bythe microprocessor 19 for switching between the specified tripfunctions, or “customer settings” and the maintenance trip functions or“maintenance mode settings” in response to the setting of themaintenance switch 13. If the maintenance switch 13 has been set to themaintenance mode as determined at 23, a maintenance mode flag is set at25 and the customer settings associated with the specified tripfunctions are copied to memory at 27. If at 23, the maintenance switchis in the normal position, the maintenance mode flag is cleared at 29.If the maintenance mode flag is set at 31, the maintenance modesettings, i.e., the maintenance trip functions, are applied at 33 andthe “maintenance settings in use” message is displayed on the display 17at 35 and the LED 15 is eliminated at 37. On the other hand, if themaintenance mode flag is not set at 31, the customer settings areapplied at 39 so that the specified trip functions are implemented.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the maintenance tripfunctions can include multiple levels of protection. In someapplications, it may be desirable to raise the parameters for trippingduring maintenance, for instance, to accommodate the starting of motors.For example, in such a case, the maintenance settings listed above canbe designated Level 1 maintenance settings, and the following exemplarymaintenance settings can be provided as Level 2 settings.

Instantaneous Pickup Current=4×rated current

Short Delay Pickup Current=3×rated current

Short Delay Pickup Time=0.050 sec (essentially no time delay)

Ground Fault Pickup Current=0.25×rated current

Ground Fault Time Delay=0.050 sec (essentially no time delay)

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of the trip unit showing a modifiedmaintenance switch 13′ in which either Level 1, or Level 2, can beselected as the maintenance trip function.

Additional maintenance settings can include a default time at which thesystem will revert to the “customer setting” or specified trip functionsto restore normal operation should personnel neglect to manually returnthe maintenance switch to the normal position.

In addition to, or in place of, the maintenance switch 13 on the circuitbreaker 3 overriding of the specified trip functions by the maintenancetrip functions could be implemented remotely over a communication system(not shown), which is now often provided for low voltage power circuitbreakers.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the invention that employs amaintenance plug 41 in an auxiliary trip circuit 43 to override thespecified trip functions implemented by the microprocessor 19. Currenttransformer 11 a senses the current in phase A of the electric powercircuit 1. This ac sensing current is converted to a dc current by thebridge circuit 45 a and to a voltage proportional to the phase A currentby the burden resistor 47 a. Similar sensors (not shown) measure thephases B and C and ground fault currents. An auctioneering circuitformed by the diodes 49 a, 49 b, 49 c and 49 g selects the voltagerepresenting the highest current as is well known. The number of turnsof the current transformer for the ground current is selected tonormalize it with the phase currents for auctioneering. The auxiliarytrip circuit 43 includes a comparator 51, the output of which isnormally low because the 5 volt voltage applied to the noninvertinginput through the pull down resistor 53 is above the 1.25 volt biasvoltage applied to the inverting input. However, when the highestvoltage selected by the auctioneering diodes 49 a, 49 b, 49 c, and 49 grepresenting the highest of the phase or ground currents, is above thebreakdown voltage of zener diode 55, current flows through the resistor56 and pulls down the voltage on the noninverting input of thecomparator 51 to cause the output to go high. This auxiliary trip signalis ORed in OR circuit 57 with the trip signal generated by themicroprocessor 19 to actuate the operating mechanism 7 and open theseparable contacts 5. Filter capacitor 58 suppresses spurious response.Such an auxiliary trip circuit is now provided in some circuit breakers3 to provide a fast instantaneous trip for very high overcurrents. Thisassures a fast trip, for instance in the case of a short circuit,without the delays inherent in the processing required for themicroprocessor 19 to generate a trip signal.

In accordance with this aspect of the invention, the auxiliary tripcircuit 43 becomes a maintenance trip circuit by insertion of themaintenance plug 41 to place a maintenance zener diode 59 in parallelwith the auxiliary trip zener diode 55. The maintenance zener diode 59has a break over voltage selected to generate the auxiliary trip signalat the reduced maintenance instantaneous pickup current described above.This embodiment of the invention is particularly suitable for applyingaspects of the invention to existing circuit breakers, especially thosethat already have the auxiliary trip function.

It was previously mentioned that some circuit breakers have an interlockfunction. FIG. 5 illustrates such a circuit breaker 3′. In such acircuit breaker, the trip unit 9 has an interlock in ZI, and aninterlock out, ZO, lead. The interlock in lead ZI can be connected at aterminal 61 through a lead (not shown) to a circuit breaker (not shown)lower in the electric power circuit 1. Similarly, the interlock out, ZOlead can be connected at a terminal 63 through another lead (not shown)to a circuit breaker (not shown) higher in the electric power circuit 1.When the circuit breaker 3′ is so connected, if the circuit breaker (notshown) lower in the electric power circuit sees a fault, it will send aninterlock signal through the lead ZI to the trip unit 9 to hold offtripping of the circuit breaker 3′, thereby giving the lower circuitbreaker the opportunity to respond such as by a short delay trip. Thecircuit breaker 3′ also sends an interlock signal upward through thelead ZO to the circuit breaker above to hold off actuation of thatbreaker should the breaker 3′ see a fault. For ease of manufacture, thezone interlock connections are provided on all of the breakers of thetype such as 3′. Should a customer not care to implement zoneinterlocking, a jumper 65 is connected across the terminal 61, 63 toactivate the short time delay in the trip unit 9 of the circuit breaker3′. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, the maintenanceswitch 13″ has contacts 67 which interrupt the interlock circuit toeliminate the time delay thereby producing a maintenance trip functionthat responds without delay to reduce arc energy should a fault occurduring maintenance. When maintenance has been completed, the maintenanceswitch 13″ is returned to the closed position to reinstitute the timedelay, or the interlock function.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been described indetail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and alternatives to those details could be developed inlight of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, theparticular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only andnot limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given thefull breadth of the claims appended and any and all equivalents thereof.

1. A method of providing protection against arc flash during maintenanceon a low voltage power circuit including a circuit breaker having aspecified trip function for responding to a fault, the methodcomprising: overriding the specified trip function with a maintenancetrip function that results in reduced arc energy in the fault during atrip over arc energy during a trip with the specified trip function; andrestoring the specified trip function following maintenance.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the specified trip function comprises aspecified pickup current and a specified time delay and overriding thespecified trip function comprises reducing at least one of the specifiedpickup current and the specified time delay.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein overriding the specified trip function comprises reducing boththe specified pickup current and the specified time delay.
 4. The methodof claim 1, wherein the specified trip function comprises implementingone or more of an instantaneous trip function, a short delay tripfunction and a ground fault trip function and overriding the specifiedtrip function comprises overriding each trip function implemented. 5.The method of claim 4, wherein the short delay trip function isimplemented with a specified short delay pickup current and a specifiedshort delay time delay and wherein overriding the specified tripfunction comprises eliminating the specified short delay time delay. 6.The method of claim 4, wherein the short delay trip function isimplemented with a specified short delay pickup current and a specifiedshort delay time delay and overriding the specified trip functioncomprises reducing the specified short delay pickup current.
 7. Themethod of claim 6, wherein overriding the specified trip functionfurther includes reducing the specified short delay time delay.
 8. Themethod of claim 4, wherein the instantaneous trip function isimplemented with a specified instantaneous pickup current and overridingthe specified trip function comprises reducing the specifiedinstantaneous pickup current.
 9. The method of claim 4, wherein theground fault trip function is implemented with a specified ground faultpickup current and overriding the specified trip function comprisesreducing the specified ground fault pickup current.
 10. The method ofclaim 9, wherein the ground fault trip function has a ground fault timedelay and overriding the specified trip function further includesreducing the ground fault time delay.
 11. The method of claim 1, whereinoverriding the specified trip function with a maintenance trip functioncomprises selecting one of a first maintenance trip function thatresults in a first level of arc energy in the fault during a trip thatis less than the arc energy resulting from the specified trip function,and a second maintenance trip function that results in a second level ofarc energy in the fault that is more than the first level of arc energybut less than the arc energy resulting from the specified trip function.12. The method of claim 1, wherein the low voltage circuit is multiphaseand the maintenance trip function also causes a trip in response to acurrent imbalance in the multiple phases.
 13. The method of claim 1,wherein the maintenance trip function also causes a trip in response toa current reversal in the low voltage circuit.
 14. The method of claim1, wherein the specified trip function incorporates a jumpered zoneinterlock providing a specified delay and overriding the specified tripfunction comprises eliminating the specified delay.
 15. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the specified trip function is overridden bysubstituting the maintenance trip function for the specified tripfunction, which is retained for restoring following maintenance.
 16. Alow voltage circuit breaker protecting from arc flash resulting fromfaults in a protected low voltage power circuit comprising; separablecontacts; current sensors sensing current in the protected low voltagepower circuit; a trip unit responsive to the current sensors trippingopen the separable contacts in response to a specified trip function;and maintenance means overriding the specified trip function with amaintenance trip function that results in reduced arc energy in thefault during a trip over arc energy during a trip with the specifiedtrip function.
 17. The circuit breaker of claim 16, wherein themaintenance means comprises a maintenance switch operative between anormal position selecting the specified trip function, and a maintenanceposition selecting the maintenance trip function.
 18. The circuitbreaker of claim 17, wherein the maintenance trip function comprises afirst maintenance trip function that results in a first level of arcenergy in the fault during a trip that is less than the arc energyresulting from a trip with the specified trip function, and a secondmaintenance trip function that results in a second level of arc energyin the fault that is more than the first level of arc energy but lessthan the arc energy resulting from the specified trip function, andwherein the maintenance switch has a first maintenance position forselecting the first maintenance trip function and a second maintenanceposition for selecting the second maintenance trip function.
 19. Thecircuit breaker of claim 16, wherein the trip unit comprises a zoneinterlock and the specified trip function is a short delay trip functionwith a short delay and the maintenance means open circuits the zoneinterlock and eliminates the short delay of the short delay tripfunction.
 20. A low voltage circuit breaker protecting from arc flashresulting from faults in a protected low voltage power circuit, said lowvoltage circuit breaker comprising: separable contacts; current sensorsstructured to sense current in the protected low voltage power circuit;a trip unit responsive to the current sensors, said trip unit structuredto trip open the separable contacts in response to a specified tripfunction; and a maintenance mechanism structured to override thespecified trip function with a maintenance trip function that results inreduced arc energy in the fault during a trip over arc energy during atrip with the specified trip function.
 21. The circuit breaker of claim20, wherein the specified trip function of said trip unit is structuredto provide at least one of an instantaneous trip function and a groundfault trip function; and wherein said maintenance mechanism is furtherstructured to override each of said at least one of an instantaneoustrip function and a ground fault trip function.
 22. The circuit breakerof claim 21, wherein the maintenance mechanism comprises a maintenanceswitch operative between a normal position selecting the specified tripfunction, and a maintenance position selecting the maintenance tripfunction.